[Archived] Premier League 2015/16 Thread

[oldjamfan1]

A step in the right direction. Hopefully the Football League will do something similar.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35764007

Yep, a £20 cap in the football league would be appropriate I think.

[Husky]

https://uk.sports.yahoo.com/news/jermaine-jenas-exclusive--why-top-coach-mcclaren-is-failing-as-a-manager-115414430.html

Only one former players opinion, but interesting none the less.........(with some familiarities for us Rovers fans).

"I've worked under Steve when he has been a coach and a manager. As a coach he is brilliant - one of the best I've ever encountered - but his career shows that in terms of management there is something missing. Those two jobs may sound similar, but in fact they are very different."

"As a player, you have a certain relationship with a coach or a number two, and it's a completely different to the one you have with the manager."

"Steve, meanwhile, was basically one of the lads. Everyone loved him"

[chaddyrovers]

looking like Rafa Benitez will be taking over at Newcastle shortly from McClaren as their manager/head coach according to media reports.

great coup for them if they get him

[gumboots]

My husband will start throwing things at the tv again. Benitez is a pet hate of his. No logical reason. Just one of those people who drive you up the wall.

[DE.]

BBC are going with McClaren staying - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/35768923

[davulsukur]

Rumours now that it's Macca out and Rafa in. Spawny bloody Geordies if that happens.

[yoda]

Rumours now that it's Macca out and Rafa in. Spawny bloody Geordies if that happens.

Poisoned chalice is the bar codes

[davulsukur]

He would keep them up though.

Sadly, I think they would have the potential to be decent next season under him.

Let's hope he sees it as a poisoned chalice also, and turns them down

[DE.]

He would keep them up though.

Sadly, I think they would have the potential to be decent next season under him.

Let's hope he sees it as a poisoned chalice also, and turns them down

With Big Sam in charge of Sunderland I'm not so sure Rafa would keep Newcastle up. A big gamble to bring in a manager who has no experience of a top division relegation dogfight...

[VinjayV4]

With Big Sam in charge of Sunderland I'm not so sure Rafa would keep Newcastle up. A big gamble to bring in a manager who has no experience of a top division relegation dogfight...

Well he might have earlier in his management career albeit in other countries. Benitez and relegation teflon man head to head in a battle against the drop. Won't be short of stories!

[K-Hod]

Not a fan of either club by any stretch of the imagination, and I know Liverpool fans have sung songs about Munich in the past, but some of those songs eminating out of the away end at Anfield last night were an absolute disgrace.

[roversmillsy]

McClaren sacked by Newcastle. Can't be bothered listening to all the Geordies at work going on about Rafa as if he's the second coming. Hopefully his lack of relegation battles shows and the get relegated (if, as expected, he takes over).

[K-Hod]

I don't think Benitez is all that good of a manager. More flops than successes in recent times imo. (Napoli, Inter, Real Madrid).

[JHRover]

McClaren finally sacked. Disgraceful treatment to keep him in limbo for 5 days. Rovers fans get stick from the media for wanting Kean out and yet Newcastle well within their rights to behave like that.

If Benitez takes over it will make their game against Sunderland next week all the more spicy as Allardyce can't stand him!

[roversmillsy]

I don't think Benitez is all that good of a manager. More flops than successes in recent times imo. (Napoli, Inter, Real Madrid).

I think he's a brilliant manager. He might not have done well at Inter but they had an ageing side and the main reason he was sacked was because he told the chairman to back him with money, which is fair enough in my opinion.

At Napoli, he didn't do a bad job and still won the Coppa Italia there.

He won the Europa League with Chelsea and guided them to the top 3. When he went there, they were struggling.

Let's be honest, most managers struggle with the expectation at Real Madrid. They still believe they are the best side in Spain, even though Barca are streets ahead.

McClaren finally sacked. Disgraceful treatment to keep him in limbo for 5 days. Rovers fans get stick from the media for wanting Kean out and yet Newcastle well within their rights to behave like that.

If Benitez takes over it will make their game against Sunderland next week all the more spicy as Allardyce can't stand him!

Newcastle fans can do that. They are the original Big Club© with the most passionate fans in the world . Love for them to go down.

[Dean]

I think he's a brilliant manager. He might not have done well at Inter but they had an ageing side and the main reason he was sacked was because he told the chairman to back him with money, which is fair enough in my opinion.

At Napoli, he didn't do a bad job and still won the Coppa Italia there.

He won the Europa League with Chelsea and guided them to the top 3. When he went there, they were struggling.

Let's be honest, most managers struggle with the expectation at Real Madrid. They still believe they are the best side in Spain, even though Barca are streets ahead.

He's hardly an inspirational figure though.

If I was Mike Ashley, I'd get Nigel Pearson on a contract until the end of the season and then address the situation in the summer. Newcastle desperately need a bit of the team spirit that Leicester had last season when they performed a minor miracle.

I want Newcastle to do down, though. It's in our interest that Sunderland stay up - best chance of getting Graham and Gomez!

[roversmillsy]

He's hardly an inspirational figure though.

If I was Mike Ashley, I'd get Nigel Pearson on a contract until the end of the season and then address the situation in the summer. Newcastle desperately need a bit of the team spirit that Leicester had last season when they performed a minor miracle.

I want Newcastle to do down, though. It's in our interest that Sunderland stay up - best chance of getting Graham and Gomez!

I agree with the fact that I don't think he is the man for the job for the rest of the season. I think he'll be a good appointment if they stay up but if I was them, I'd be looking at somebody like Pearson (who has been in a relegation battle and survived) to steer the ship for the rest of the season.

I agree with the Sunderland thing as well, not necessarily for Graham because he's already out of contract in the summer, but definitely for Jordi.

[ABBEY]

Funniest thing is listening to plastic Manc at work comparing mc to lvg . It's hilarious.

Told him we would swap places and he says not good enough for a club like there's ha.

Told him he is a spoilt brat fan .

[DE.]

I agree with the fact that I don't think he is the man for the job for the rest of the season. I think he'll be a good appointment if they stay up but if I was them, I'd be looking at somebody like Pearson (who has been in a relegation battle and survived) to steer the ship for the rest of the season.

I agree with the Sunderland thing as well, not necessarily for Graham because he's already out of contract in the summer, but definitely for Jordi.

Pearson would have made sense from the standpoint of surviving a PL relegation battle and getting a club up from the Championship (should they go down).

I assume Rafa will have a clause saying he can leave if Newcastle fail to stay up.

[JHRover]

Going to be a fascinating end to the season, Norwich and Newcastle have had woeful results recently and that has helped Allardyce drag Sunderland above them despite not winning many games. A change in manager at Newcastle ahead of the derby game next week and I think they are due to play Norwich soon too.

Realistically unless Bournemouth/Swansea/Palace completely collapse then relegation is going to be two from Newcastle, Norwich and Sunderland. Newcastle are 9 points behind Swansea who have been picking up good results. Norwich are looking increasingly likely with the least experience and worst form of late, yet have put in some decent displays recently such as Leicester away without getting the points.

Benitez is a good manager but untested in circumstances like Newcastle face. With only 10 games to go and a squad that has been poor all season it is going to need him to hit the ground running.

I'd like Newcastle to come down because I don't like them and the endless positive media coverage they get. They are nothing special and I doubt they'd be as well placed next time to bounce straight back as they did last time. Sunderland under Allardyce would be a far more formidable side in the Championship.

[Dean]

I agree with the fact that I don't think he is the man for the job for the rest of the season. I think he'll be a good appointment if they stay up but if I was them, I'd be looking at somebody like Pearson (who has been in a relegation battle and survived) to steer the ship for the rest of the season.

I agree with the Sunderland thing as well, not necessarily for Graham because he's already out of contract in the summer, but definitely for Jordi.

Definitely higher risk with Jordi.

I think there's some risk with Graham as well though. Defoe would probably head back to America or somewhere else for a final pay day, N'Doye would return after his loan, so they'd not really have any strikers. They might see the form he's been in for us and decide to offer him a new contract. They'd be able to offer him significantly more and he's from the north east, so I guess he would take it if they did.

He started the last game at Sunderland (away at Spurs) before coming here, so Big Sam obviously rates him to some degree.

[J*B]

Graham will sign for Rovers in summer. Sunderland fans hate him, he doesn't like Sunderland. Sam will get his own man, if they go down - which they wont. Sam's teams don't get relegated.

[Dean]

Graham will sign for Rovers in summer. Sunderland fans hate him, he doesn't like Sunderland. Sam will get his own man, if they go down - which they wont. Sam's teams don't get relegated.

I hope you're right!

[Tom]

There's no chance he stays at Sunderland, he's a free agent, he may not come here if he gets a better offer but it won't be Sunderland

[arbitro]

I see the Newcastle situation Benitez has inherited similar to the one Lambert had at Rovers. Lots of lazy, demotivated players who have been in easy street for too long. Benitez will have to first change the mindset and culture. If the players don't buy into it Newcastle will go down and Benitez will invoke the reported clause in his contract which allows him to leave if they get relegated.